If you’ve had spider mite attack your grow room in the past, chances are you are unintentionally doing something to encourage or attract them.

There are many preventative products such as sprays or neem oil, which make plants less tasty to annoying spidermites. However, these should only be used to supplement good practices.

The most important aspect of spider mite (or any marijuana pest) prevention when growing indoors is a CLEAN GROW ROOM.

Never move other plants from the outside world into your grow room – this is the most common way people get spider mites, especially the marijuana specialist spider mites. If you get a clone or plant, keep that plant away from your other plants in quarantine for at least a couple weeks to ensure it has no bugs. Get a handheld microscope and use it to look for bugs on new plants, too.

No old dead leaves in your grow room at any time – you must collect old leaves regularly and completely remove them from your growing space. It doesn’t count if you put them in a neat pile or trash can in the corner, you need to keep dead plant matter out of your grow room

Make sure that you or anyone who comes into your contact space is clean (don’t ever walk into your grow room directly from outside)

No dogs, cats, rabbits or any other pets in your grow space

Make sure you have good airflow in your room – spider mites like hot plants and low air movement

If you have an intake from outside, make sure you have some sort of filter to keep bugs from getting in

Dip new clones or small plants in room temperature water treated with Safer Soap and/or Neem Oil

Alternatively, if you’re growing just a small amount of marijuana for personal use, it may be better to start with seeds than clones, since you don’t have to worry about accidentally getting marijuana zombie mites when starting from seed (plus you can choose to grow any strain you want!)

Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth on top of your soil and all around your grow room – this all-natural remedy is safe for humans (we can even eat it), and works because it is very jagged on the microscopic level. Tiny spider mites get ripped apart while plants grow through happily

Make sure there is a healthy population of predatory insects to kill off the spider mites (like lady bugs, though the “Western Predatory Mite” is your best defense against spider mites)

Make sure you have proper ground cover (cover your soil with a soil cover, weed barrier fabric,Diatomaceous Earth, or some other barrier). Basically, you want to prevent anything from being able to live or grow in the soil near your plants

If things get bad, invest in a strong pesticide that is specifically formulated for spider mites, take a look at this list for ideas, Floramite is considered a very strong and effective pesticide

Make sure your plants are growing in a breezy area that doesn’t get too hot and stagnant – spider mites love hot weather with no breeze

Keep a close watch on your plants, and react quickly at the FIRST site of spider mites!!!!